Apparatus for manufacture of thread



Oct- 23, 1951 H. A. KULJIAN APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURE OF' THREAD 3Sheets-Sheet l Filed 0G11. l, 1947 Oct. 23, 1951 H. A. KULJIAN APPARATUSFOR MANUFACTURE 0F THREAD Filed oct. 1, 1947 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 .0. H.. Jn M an P R on vnr A P Jhr M.|.A|1! AT 1 w 1.1 1 I d. m?. wunl mul z M/F| ll L M. nmw 2 C C I nnuhl HHM 1|. 3 \nnu 3 C 45 C 8, .l I.I|.||nu|l| un". www; M P ll f wmwe g s W A H nl L/ L m L L .m NH N A UmWW. w d A H Patented Oct. 23, 1951 OFFICE APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURE OFTHREAD Harry Asdour Kuljian, Merion', Pa.

Application October 1, 1947, Serial No. 777,137

2 Claims.

In the manufacture of synthetic yarn by the i continuous method thefreshly coagulated filament is wound about a thread storing andadvancing device formed of at least two rolls, at least one of whichrotates about its axis and at least one of which has its axis skewed,whereby such filament moves longitudinally of the thread advancingdevice in the form of helices, circumscribing said rolls. A preferredform of thread advancing device is shown in my copending applicationSerial No. 744,885, led April 30, 1947, and entitled Apparatus forManufacture of Thread.

To complete its setting or regeneration, various chemicals aresuccessively applied to the filament as it moves longitudinally of thethread advancing device, and after the last chemical treatment andbefore the filament is dried, it is preferably washed with water of thedesired temperature to remove the chemicals.

The various chemical and water baths are applied, in measuredquantities, to spaced portions or zones of the filament as it moveslongitudinally of the thread advancing device and unless some provisionis made against it, the various chemicals and the water will tend tointermingle thus permitting an acid, for instance, from the zone towhich it is applied, to flow into an adjacent zone in which an alkali isbeing applied, and vice versa.

It is therefore one object of the invention to provide improved meansfor preventing the intermingling of the various liquids used in thetreatment of the lament.

A further object is to confine the various liquids used to theirintended respective zones vwithout the use of partitions, wipers, orother mechanical expedients which would in any Way subject the filamentto friction or other undesirable effects.

The various chemicals referred t are used in large quantities and arerelatively expensive. Therefore, if they can be retrieved separately,they can be reclaimed and used over and over again, and the higher theconcentration in which the various chemicals are retrieved the highertheir value.

It is therefore still a further object of the invention to produceimproved means whereby the various chemicals used in treating the lamentcan be removed from the various spaced zones or portions of the filamentin comparatively high concentrations so as to facilitate the process ofreclamation of the liquids and thus reduce operational costs.

These and other objects will be more clearly understood from thefollowing specifications and the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary and diagrammatic side elevational view of athread advancing device embodying my invention, the same being shown inassociation with a synthetic filament producing apparatus.

Fig. 2 is a view partly in section and partly in end elevation, taken online 2-2 on Fig. 1 and Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view taken along line3--3 on Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged, diagrammatic and fragmentary view taken on line4-4 on Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a section on line 5-5 on Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is an elevational view of the roll which is marked RI in Fig. 2.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary developed section of the roll shown in Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is an elevational view of any of the remaining rolls which, forconvenience of reference, are marked R2, R3, R4, R5, R6, R1, and R8, inFig. 2.

Fig. 9 is a section on line 9-9 onFig. 8.

Fig. 10 is an elevational view of a suction tube which is inserted in abore formed in each of the rolls shown in Fig. 2 and which establishesselective communication between the surface' of the rolls and a sourceof suction through holes leading from the surface of the rolls to saidbore.

Fig. 11 is a section on line II--II on Fig. 10. v

Figs. 12 to 17 inclusive show a modified apparatus and are described asfollows:

Fig. 12 is an elevational view of one ci?v three l rolls, which aremarked RIO in Fig.` 17.

Figs. 13 to 16 inclusive are elevationalviews of the rolls marked RI I,RIZ, RI3, and RH in Fig. 17, the remaining roll in Fig. 17 being markedRI because it is identical with roll RI which is shown in Fig. 6. l v,"1t- Fig. 17 is a diagrammatic and elevational view similar to Fig. 2showing one way in which the various rolls may be connected to"different sources of suction.

Fig. 18 is a view similar to Figs. 2 and 17 diagrammaticallyillustrating a second modification.

Fig. 19 is a fragmentary and diagrammatic sectional view on line I9-I9on Fig. 18.

In Fig. 1 there is shown a spinnerette 20 which extrudes an appropriatesolution into a coagulating bath 22 to form a lament 24. The filaments,after passing over one or moregodets 26, are wound spirally over athread storing and advancing device formed of atleast two elongatedrolls, at least one of which rotates about its axis,

and at least one of which has its axis skewed so as to cause the freshlyproduced mamentl to move, axially of the rolls, in the form of a plu-`rality of closely spaced helices. As shown, the thread advancing deviceis formed of eight rolls RI, R1, R3, R4. R5, R6, R1, and R8, which rollsare initially so mounted that a line connecting their axes will form acircle concentric with a central fixed axis. Any number, or all, or therolls may have their axes skewed relative to said nxed axis and, anynumber, or all of the rolls may be rotated about their respective axesby means of a gear train 28 driven by a motor M, so that when the end ofa freshly coagulated filament is wound about the right hand end of thethread advancing device, as viewed in Fig. 1, the lament will move, inthe form of closely spaced helices 30, to the other end of the threadadvancing device. The manner of skewing the axes of the rolls forms nopart of the present invention, and is shown in my application for patentabove referred to.

The opposite ends of the rolls are journalled in suitable antifrictionbearings 29 in opposite end plates 3l and 32, as shown in dotted linesin Fig. 1 and in enlarged section in Fig. 4. The thread advancing deviceitself is mounted in cantilever fashion on a vertical frame 33, only aportion of which vis shown in Fig. l.

In order to complete the regeneration or setting of the filament, it issubjected to successive treatments by various liquids as it progresseslongitudinally of the thread advancing device. As shown diagrammaticalh1in Figs. 1 and 3, a series of pipes are arranged above the threadadvancing device and in vertical registration with one of the uppermostrolls, such, for example, as the roll R4. The pipes are connected tsources of various chemicals and to a source of water (not shown) andare controlled by valves 34 at their discharge orices, or by valveslocated adjacent the respective sources as desired. As shown, however, apipe Pl is connected to a. source of water and is provided with threespaced outlets each of which is controlled by a valve 34 forsupplyingwater to spaced zones Wl, W2 and W3 on the roll R4; a pipe P2,also having a similar valve controlled outlet for supplying a firstchemical to zone CI; a pipe P3 for supplying a second chemical to zoneC2; a pipe P4 for supplying a third chemical to zone C3 and a pipe P5for supplying a fourth chemical to zone C4. The number and arrangementof the pipes and zones is optional except that it will probably bedesirable, in most cases, to provide a water bath, at, or near, zone W3to wash away the chemicals prior to drying of the filament. Again, inpractice, zone W3 will be somewhat spaced from the left hand end of thethread advancing device so as to provide room for a drying zone whichhas not been shown because it forms no part of the present invention.Thus, wash water and various chemicals are applied to different zones orportions of the lament as it moves longitudinally of the threadadvancing device, but, as the lament moves through the successive zones,it tends to carry at least a portion o! the chemical applied to it, inone zone into an adjacent zone. For example, as the filament moves fromzone WI toward zone Ci, it tends to carry some wash water along whichwill dilute the chemical being supplied to zone CI, and so on. Also, ifthe thread advancingdevice is mounted with its left hand end higher thanits right hand end, to achieve counterflow of the treating liquids, thereverse would be true and liquid from zone C4, for example, will ilowinto, ard will mix with the chemical applied to, zone C To prevent thisintermingling it has heretofore been proposed to provide partitionswhich abut the threads and the rolls, but to provide such partitions forall of the zones on all of the rolls is not practicable and, if it were,the friction of such partitions against the thread will be deleterious.

According to my invention, I use suction for the purpose of confiningthe various liquids to the various zones to which they are applied, aswell as for the purpose of separately removing the various liquids afterthey have served their purpose.

According to my invention, all of the rolls are provided with internalbores 36 which are blind at their inner, right hand ends, as at 38 inFig. 8, and which open to the outside at their outer, left hand ends, asat 33, in the same figure. Also, al1 of the rolls, except roll RI, areprovided with radially extending, spaced holes, or groups of holes, 40,4i, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46 and 41 which lead from the surfaces of the rollsat points adjacent the limits of zones WI, CI, W2, C2, C3, C4 and W3 tothe bores 36 in the rolls, as shown in Figs. 8 and 9. While the numberof holes in each group may vary, I find it preferable to limit thenumber of holes to about four or so at the boundary or limit of eachzone, so as not to dissipate the suction and so as to make itunnecessary to use unduly large capacity suction equipment. The groupsof holes 40 to 41 are arranged spirally or helically along the rolls fora purpose hereinafter set forth.

In order to establish selective communication between the filament ofthe surface of the rolls and a source of suction, I insert in each ofthe rolls a tube 48 which, as shown in Fig. 10, is provided with alongitudinal slot 50. The slot 50 is straight and is, coextensive withthe portion of the roll in which the holes 46 to 41 are located. Thetubes 50 are fixed and have a running t with respect to their respectiverolls so that the rolls may rotate freely, but not loosely, about thetubes. The tubes may be mounted in any desired manner such for example,by having their opposite ends secured in the opposite end plates 3i and32. As a roll rotates, the holes, or the groups of holes, 40 to 41, willcome successively into registration with corresponding portions of theslot 50 of the tube 48 in such. roll. Therefore, suction applied to theinterior of a tube will be effective only as to one or more of the holesof any given group in any given zone at any given moment. For example,as the holes 4U and 4i on either side of zone Wi come into registrationwith the extreme right hand end portion of the slot 50, the holes in allof the other zones, on that particular roll will be out of registrationwith the slot 50 and, therefore only the water supplied to zone WI willbe sucked into the interior of the tube. The same is true of the othergroups of holes.

The left hand ends 35 of the tubes empty into an annular well 52 formedin the inner face of a header 54, which is secured in airtight relationto the end plate 32. A suction pump 56 is connected by means of a pipe58 to the well 52 so as to produce reduced pressure therein. The pump 56is connected to a point of disposal by means of a drain 66. When thepump is in operation, a degree of vaccum is established within the well52 and inside the tubes 48. By this means, the water supplied to zone W2for example, Will be sucked in through the holes 42 and 43 every timethat these holes register with the corresponding portion of the slot 50and are thus exposed to the suction in tubes. Since this takes place onevery roll, and with each rotation of each roll, it will be seen thatwater is eiiectively removed from zone W2 and that this water cannot runover into adjacent zones CI and C2. In other words the groups of holes40 and 41 are located at the limits or boundaries of the respectivezones as to prevent any liquid supplied to any given zone from flowingover into any adjacent zones. The same is of course true of liquidssupplied to the other zones. By the arrangement described, the washwater and the various chemicals used in the various zones areeffectively segregated by suction alone and without the use f wipers,Spacers or other devices, which, in operation, contact the rolls or thethread on the rolls.

While the rolls R2 to R8 are provided with spaced groups of holesseparating the various zones I find it advisable to provide at least oneroll, such as the roll RI, with closely spaced holes 64, disposedspirally, longitudinally of the roll. The roll RI may be located asshown in Fig. 2, or it may be located in place of roll R3 or R5, or atany other location, and is used for withdrawing residual liquids withoutregard to segregation of the various liquids. The tube 48 in the bore ofthe roll RI, like the other tubes, leads into the reduced pressurerecess 52 so as to be subjected to the action of the suction pump.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the structure shown in Figs. 1to l1, inclusive, serves to prevent the intermingling of the variousliquids on the surfaces of the rolls and serve to remove said liquids toa point of disposal.

In order to remove the various chemicals used in the treating of thethread in as separate and as pure a state as possible, so that suchchemicals may be reclaimed and re-used, I have devised the embodiment ofthe invention which is illustrated in Figs. 12 to 17 inclusive.

In this embodiment of the invention, I use one or more rolls of the typeshown in Fig. 12, one roll of the type shown in Fig. 6, and the rollsshown in Figs. 13 to 16 inclusive, respectively. The number of rolls ofthe type shown in Fig. 12 will correspond to the number of zones towhich water is supplied, and the number of rolls of the type shown inFigs. 13-to 16 will correspond to the number of dii-ferent chemicalssupplied to diierent zones. One roll of the type shown in Fig. 6 isusually enough to serve for removal of residual liquids with no regardfor separation.

Except for the distribution of the radial holes the structure of therolls of Figs. 12 to 16 inclusive, their mounting, their rotation, andthe tubes 48 inserted therein are identical with the corresponding rollpreviously described in connection with Fig. 8. It is therefore nowmerely necessary to describe the manner in which 'these rolls preventthe liquids from intermingling on the surfaces of rolls and the mannerin which the liquids withdrawn from the rolls are segregated forreclamation and re-use.

Beginning with rolls RIU of Fig. 12, it'will be seen that each roll isprovided with three groups of holes which register, vertically, with thethree outlets of pipe PI, which supplies water to zones WI, W2 and W3.Obviously, if there are two or four outlets on the pipe PI, there willbe two or four groups of holes 18. Since the rolls RII) conduct wastewater which is not worth reclaiming, and since the roll RI of Fig. 6which is also used in this assembly, removes residual liquids,regardless of segregation, the tubes 48 in the rolls RID and RI arepreferably connected directly to the intake side of a common suctionpump 12 by a network of interconnected pipes 13. The pump 12 is providedwith a disposal drain 14.

The roll RI I, shown in Fig. 13, is provided with only one group ofholes 16 which register with the outlet of pipe P2 which delivers afirst chemical to zone CI on the rolls. The tube 48 in this roll isconnected by a pipe 11, directly to another pump 18 which is connectedby a pipe 80 to a reclamation station, not shown, for purifying thechemical CI for re-use.

The roll RI2 is provided with one group of holes 8| which register,vertically with the outlet of pipe P3, which supplies a second chemicalto zone C2, and the tube 48 in this roll is connected by means of a pipe82 to the intake side of a pump 84 from which a pipe 85 leads to anotherreclamation station.

The roll RI3 is provided with one group of holes 88 which registervertically, with the outlet of pipe P4 which supplies a third chemicalto zone C3 and the tube in this roll is connected by means of a pipe 89to a pump 90 which is connected by means of a pipe 8| to a correspondingreclamation station.

Finally, the roll RI4 is provided with a group of holes 92 whichregister, vertically, with the outlet of pipe P5 which delivers a fourthchemical to zone C4 and the tube in this roll is connected, by means ofa pipe 93, to a pump 94 from which a pipe 95 leads to a correspondingreclamation station.

Since effective suction can be applied to holes leading from the surfaceof any of the rolls RII to RI4 inclusive, only when, during rotation ofa particular roll, the holes therein register with the correspondingportion of slot 50 in that particular tube 48, and since the tubes 48 inthe rolls RII to RI4 are connected to separate suction pumps, it followsthat, with reference to each roll, only the chemical supplied to thezone provided With holes, can be withdrawn through the tube 48 of theparticular roll. Thus except for being contaminated with the chemicalreagents of the filament itself, the chemicals thus separately withdrawnhave relatively high concentration due to the fact that each of thechemicals in any given zone is withdrawn through the holes in thatparticular zone by means of a separate suction pump. It will be notedthat in Figs. 12 to 16 inclusive the holes in the zones are spreadacross the length of the zones, instead of being located at theboundaries of the zones as in Fig. 8.

It is therefore obvious that the groups of holes in the rolls of Figs.12 to 16 serve to withdraw the liquids separately and to preventintermingling of the various liquids on the surface of the rolls.

It will also be noted that, in both modifications, one hole, or arelatively small numberof holes, are presented at one time to the slot50, as the particular roll rotates about its tube 48 so that -theavailable suction is concentrated on one hole, or on a small number ofholes, thus making it unnecessary to utilize large capacity suctionpumps.

It will also be seen that I have devised an improved method ofmanufacture and treatment of atrasos synthetic yarns and more especiallyan improved method for a continuous removal of treating liqulds and Itherefore lay claim to the method disclosed as well as to apparatus forcarrying out the method.

In Figs. 18 and 19 I show another modication for withdrawing liquidsfrom the thread by means of suction and, while the thread is moving,axially of a thread-storing land advancing device in the i'orm of anumber of helices circumscribing the device. In this construction, I useany desired number of rolls such as the rolls RIG,` shown in Fig. 18. i

These rolls except for having no bores 36, no tubes 40 and no holesleading in from their outer sur.- faces. are as to mounting and skewing,rotation. identical, with the rolls oi Fig. 1. The rolls RIB of Fig'. 18are arranged circularly to form a thread-storing and advancing devicesuch as that shown in Fig. 1, and the thread moves axially of theserolls in the manner illustrated in Fig. 1. In order to remove theliquids from the thread IA use a shell or drum .98 which is formed oftwo identical end walls |00 and an intermediate member which is endlessin vertical cross section. 'Ihis intermediate member itself,'may assumeany desired contour', it being merely necessary to provide sections 04thereof which will be disposed between the rolls RIB. The entire area.of the intermediate member, or at least the sections |04 thereof will bemade of screen or other foraminous material. The sections |04 arelocated close to a line tangent to the rolls so that, as the thread 24moves over the'rolls, the portions of the thread between the rolls willcontact, or will be close to the apertured sections |04 as shown at X inFig. 18. The sections |04 can be straight as shown or they can be.curved on substantially the same radius as the`circle formed by therolls RIG, so that the outer surfaces .of the sections |04 will form acontinuation of the 'curved surfaces of the rolls. One or more aperturedpipes |06 are located near the lowermost rolls and the ends thereofwhich project through `one of the end walls 98 are connected to asuction pump not shown. Y

As the threadmovesover the rolls and as successive portions thereof comeinto registration with the foraminoussections |04, the liquids carriedby said thread will be sucked in through the holes in the sections |04and through the holes in the apertured pipes |06.

WhatIclaim is:

1. Apparatus for treating a filament including an elongated roll overwhich said filament is wound, said roll having a hollow interior andradial holes leading from its surface to its interior, said holes beingarranged spirally of the major axis or said roll, a tube disposed in theinterior of said roll and having a slot/therein, means for rotating saidroll to bring ,s'aid holes successively into registration with saidslot, and means for applying suction to said tube.

2. Ina lament treating apparatus including a plurality ot elongatedrolls arranged with their axes substantially parallel to and forming acircle about a central axis whereby a iilament can be wound in the formoi' a helix having a plurality of spaced convolutions circumscribing andcontacting thev peripheries of said rolls, said rolls having hollowinteriors, tubes disposed in said hollow interiors and having elongatedslots therein, a plurality o! suction creating devices, means connectingone of said suction creating devices to one of said tubes, each of saidrolls having at least one group of radial passages leading from thesurface thereof to its interior. with the groups of passages in each ofsaid rolls being located in a position on said roll so as not toresister with the corresponding group of passages in any other roll, andmeans for rotating said rolls so as to bring the groups of passages inthe respective rolls into registration with the slots in the respectivetubes in said rolls.

HARRY ASDOUR KULJIAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 575,836 vHenrici Jan. 26, 18971,153,004 Althouse Sept. 7, 1915 2,017,455 Gessner Oct. 15, 19352,080,635 Schramek May 18, 1937 2,145,281 Walters Jan. 31, 19392,194,084 Gulbrandsen Mar. 19, 1940 2,251,931 Gundelflnger Aug. 12, 19412,499,464 Crewdson Mar. 7, 1950

